


Sing Me To Sleep

by akaashigf



Category: NCT (Band)
Genre: 5+1 Things, Donghyuck Singing, Fluff, M/M, Mutual Pining, Panicked Mark Lee (NCT), Phone Calls & Telephones, i can't tag
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-22
Updated: 2019-12-22
Packaged: 2021-02-24 16:14:44
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,153
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21900808
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/akaashigf/pseuds/akaashigf
Summary: Mark moved to Korea before the school year started but nothing seems to be able to make him sleep but Lee Donghyuck's voice. But of course, he can't say that to Donghyuck. So he calls him and makes dumb excuses just to speak to him. And well Donghyuck might be oblivious to many things but he knows really damn well why Mark is calling him.Alternatively, 5 times Mark calls Donghyuck and 1 time Donghyuck calls Mark instead.
Relationships: Lee Donghyuck | Haechan/Mark Lee
Comments: 8
Kudos: 197
Collections: DreamXmas 2019





	Sing Me To Sleep

**Author's Note:**

  * For [cosmicdusts](https://archiveofourown.org/users/cosmicdusts/gifts).



> markhyuck: 'i've been having insomnia lately and I can only fall asleep to your voice but I have too much pride to admit that, so I've been calling you every night  
> with increasingly ridiculous excuses and I think you might be onto me' au 
> 
> This fic is for Rena! Rena, I hope you like what I did with your prompt. Know that I did my best. I hope you will like the fic and hopefully, you will enjoy it. Also, huge thanks to Admin Robin and Admin Xie for doing this lovely exchange it was super fun!
> 
> To everyone else who is reading this, here is a cute short Markhyuck 5+1! Enjoy!
> 
> The name of the fic comes from Sing Me To Sleep by Alan Walker and I listened to Lost Stars by Adam Levine while writing this so you could listen to them too if you want!

The first time Mark calls Donghyuck is approximately seven days after the party they met. 

Donghyuck is lively; he is kind, friendly, and his smile is the brightest thing on earth. But most importantly, his voice.

_ His goddamn voice. _

__ It’s more peaceful and soft than any choir’s work, any symphony, any angel singing. It’s unique in the best way possible, and its irreplaceable. 

At least to Mark, it is. 

The first day they met was in Jeno’s house during his childhood friend’s party. Jeno had invited all of his other friends to introduce them to Mark, his childhood friend who had moved to Canada in 5th grade and was now back in Korea for college. Mark only knew people older than him, so had no friends at his college, except Jeno. So, Mark had met Renjun, Jaemin, Chenle, Jisung, Yangyang, Kunhang, Yukhei, Dejun, and Donghyuck.

When Mark went to the party, he was the most sleep-deprived he had ever been. Ever since he had moved to Korea that summer, he had been having trouble sleeping, staying up until late at night, not being able to find comfort in his bed, where it feels too far from home. 

But at the party, something magical happened. Donghyuck had sung. And in seconds, for the first time in weeks, Mark had fallen asleep. It was the best sleep he’d ever gotten. 

Days after the party, once he was back in his room he was not able to sleep at all. He had even asked Jeno to stay at his house one more night just to see if it was the house that made him sleep but no. Not a wink of sleep.

So, finally, one night, Mark called Donghyuck. He had gotten his number from Jeno. 

At first, the call was weird, filled with awkward silence. Mark had attempted to poorly explain how he got Donghyuck’s phone number in the first place. He didn’t know what else to say; he didn’t actually have anything to talk about. 

He had laid in bed looking at the ceiling trying to come up with something to talk about, before saying that he, of course, was calling to plan Jeno’s birthday party, which was in six or seven months.

Donghyuck had only laughed at Mark’s dumb reasoning and instead started talking about his art major, and later about this one teacher that was helping Donghyuck with a specific assignment. 

It was just small talk really, mostly Donghyuck telling a story and Mark listening and answering every so often. And just as before, it was perfect. Somewhere in between Donghyuck’s stories and cute rambling, Mark had let sleep take him. 

It was the best sleep he’d had in days. 

  
🎶  
  
  


The second time Mark called Donghyuck was a week after their last. 

The call was late at night, at a point where Mark was nearly about to cry from sleep deprivation. He had not been able to sleep at all since the last time he had talked with Donghyuck and it had been a long, exhausting week. It was 2 am at night and he was still tossing and turning around in his bed trying to fall asleep and suddenly with the courage that exhaustion brings he texted Donghyuck.

He was scared of looking like a freak that calls someone who he just met at midnight Sunday night but he didn’t know what else he could do. Nothing else but Donghyuck’s voice seemed to make him sleep. But instead of calling directly this time, he texted Donghyuck, remembering how during their first call Donghyuck mentioned he always slept late since he did not like sleep. 

Thankfully, Donghyuck texted back only minutes after, responding to Mark’s  _ Hey _ with:

_ Hey. What’s up? _

Mark had thought about how to answer for a couple of minutes before typing, 

_ I can’t sleep and I don’t know anyone else who would be up. Can we call? _

Instead of responding Donghyuck had called him. 

“Hello Mark hyung”

“Hi, Donghyuck.”

“Are you going to fall asleep on me again?”

“I am so, so sorry. Oh my god, I didn’t mean to,” That was a lie. 

That night they had talked for a while about nothing and anything. This time Mark contributing also instead of sitting there silently and awkwardly. Though the call wasn’t really long, Mark being way too tired to keep his eyes open after a couple of minutes. 

The last thing Mark remembered from the call was their promise to meet that weekend at a coffee shop to talk face to face this time.

  
🎶  
  
  


The third time Mark calls Donghyuck is months later and it’s not because he was not able to sleep or not because he was tired. The third time Mark calls Donghyuck is because Mark misses Donghyuck.

After that meeting where Donghyuck and Mark went for a coffee, they meet again. Not so long after but only a couple of days later to go shopping together. They dress each other in ridiculous clothes and make fun of the weird shoes they see at different, different stores. The day ends up with them not even buying anything but eating instant ramen next to the Han River.

And after that, they meet again and go to an open-air cinema and watched a romantic comedy together.

And after that, they meet at the school campus for lunch. 

And they keep meeting and meeting until it becomes a regular thing for them. 

In the meanwhile, Mark has to chance to spend more time with Jeno’s other friends. He meets with them one by one, spends time with them, plays computer games with them and they all start inviting Mark to their hangouts and parties. 

Things get better. Mark gets more friends, gets used to his studies, the new school, the house he shares with Johnny. He gets used to his new home and with that, his sleeping schedule turns to normal. 

But as the finals come and everyone has tons of assignments and essays to do, no one can create enough time for their friends.

So that night, before going to bed, he calls Donghyuck. Not because he wants to sleep but because they haven’t seen each other in two weeks and he misses Donghyuck. He misses how he jokes around with him but immediately turns worried when Mark shows the littlest sign of being hurt. He misses how he makes dumb jokes about anything and everything. He misses how he scrunches his nose when he tastes anything remotely sour. He misses how Donghyuck’s laugh has the power to brighten up his day, hell, even his week.

He misses Donghyuck, so much. 

Donghyuck opens the phone after a couple of rings.

_ “Hello hyung. Missed me already?”  _

“In your dreams Hyuckie.”

“ _ Talking about dreams… why did you call me hyung? Having trouble sleeping again?” _

Mark blushes really hard at the claim that he only calls Donghyuck to fall asleep. All of his previous calls had been to fall asleep, that wasn’t wrong, but he was not going to admit that.

“No, I don’t call you to fall asleep what are you talking about? I called you because, jokes aside, I actually missed you. We haven’t talked in what? Two weeks? Can’t I call a friend?” 

“ _ A friend? Hmm… —”  _

Mark narrows his eyes in confusion.

“ _ Anyways, of course, you can call a  _ **_friend_ ** _ because you miss them but that  _ **_friend_ ** _ actually has to work for his vocal exam tomorrow. Which means he will be annoying quite a couple of neighbors by singing at 1 am in the morning.” _

Mark narrows his eyes even more. He tries to understand why Donghyuck has specified the word ‘friend’ or why he sounds pissed. But at that moment Donghyuck was talking about singing and it had been so long since he had last heard Donghyuck sing. So, instead of asking, he says:

“That’s okay. I haven’t heard you sing in forever. You practice, I will just listen.”

Donghyuck breathes out sharply before saying “ _ okay” _

Mark hears a soft  _ thump  _ which he assumes was Donghyuck putting the phone down. Then, from his headphones, he hears piano come to his ears from a little distance.

_ “Please don't see just a boy caught up in dreams and fantasies _

_ Please see me reachin' out for someone I can't see _

_ Take my hand, let's see where we wake up tomorrow _

_ Best laid plans sometimes are just a one night stand _

_ I'll be damned, Cupid's demandin' back his arrow _

_ So let's get drunk on our tears and _

_ God, tell us the reason youth is wasted on the young _

_ It's hunting season and the lambs are on the run _

_ Searching for meaning, but are we all lost stars _

_ Trying to light up the dark?” _

Mark feels his eyes close involuntarily with the effect and beauty of Donghyuck’s voice. 

_ “Who are we? Just a speck of dust within the galaxy _

_ Woe is me if we're not careful turns into reality _

_ Don't you dare let our best memories bring you sorrow _

_ Yesterday I saw a lion kiss a deer _

_ Turn the page maybe we'll find a brand new ending _

_ Where we're dancing in our tears and _

_ God, tell us the reason youth is wasted on the young _

_ It's hunting season and the lambs are on the run _

_ Searching for meaning, but are we all lost stars _

_ Trying to light up the dark?” _

Mark recognizes the song.  _ Lost Stars,  _ he thinks. It is one of his favorite songs. But no version he had ever heard, no cover, not even the original was as enchanting as the way Donghyuck sang the song. Nothing has ever sounded so beautiful. He feels his consciousness slowly fading away.

_ “I thought I saw you out there crying, ooh _

_ And I thought I heard you call my name, yeah _

_ And I thought I heard you out there crying, oh _

_ Just the same, oh, yeah _

_ God, give us the reason youth is wasted on the young _

_ It's hunting season and this lamb is on the run _

_ Searching for meaning, but are we all lost stars? _

_ I try to light up your dark _

_ I thought I saw you out there crying, ooh _

_ And I thought I heard you call my name, yeah _

_ And I thought I heard you out there crying, oh _

_ But are we all lost stars, trying to light up the dark? _

_ But are we all lost stars, trying to light up the dark?” _

By the end of the song, Mark is barely awake. He faintly hears Donghyuck ask “ _ Did you like it?  _

The words “I love it. I love everything about you.” escapes his mouth without him even realizing and sleep takes over Mark’s body.

  
🎶

After that call, Mark doesn’t see Donghyuck for weeks again. In the first week or two, Mark just tells himself that it is because they both are really busy because of finals and not because Donghyuck is avoiding him. Though believing that gets harder once the semester is over and the university goes to winter break.

Mark cannot even get a hold of Donghyuck to find out what he did because Donghyuck doesn’t show up to any of the friend gatherings he goes and does not answer his texts. Mark even tries calling him but nothing works. 

He just wishes he knew what he did.

Days without Donghyuck’s funky, memeful texts and his amazing voice and his smile that outshone the sun is hard. Mark misses him. Being away from Donghyuck only makes Mark realize how much Donghyuck means to him. How much he likes him. 

So one night when he wakes up in the middle of the night with a nightmare, he is absolutely devastated. He is tired, he misses his family back in Canada, he misses his dog Penny, he misses Donghyuck. And on top of that, he sees Donghyuck dying in his nightmare. 

With the fear that covers Mark and with the sadness that follows, in despair, Mark texts Donghyuck. 

_ I know you don’t want to talk to me. _

_ I am really scared  _

_ Please please please Donghyuckie please let me call you _

_ I miss you _

_ I miss you so much _

And after his texts, something miraculous happens. Donghyuck calls him. 

By the time Donghyuck calls, Mark is already crying.

“Donghyuckie, Donghyuck I-I-I I am really sorry. I am s-s-so sorry. I-I—”

“ _ Mark, Mark, calm down, I need you to calm down, can you do that for me? Breathe with me okay? Listen to my breathing. Breathe with me. _ ”

Donghyuck starts to breathe at a slow pace after that and Mark follows him. After repeating the same thing multiple times, Donghyuck finally quietly says:

“ _ Are you feeling better now hyung? What happened? Are you safe?” _

“Yes. I am in my bed. I just— I just had a nightmare and I think everything was just too much.”

A silence follows his sentence. Neither of them knowing what to say. 

“Donghyuck, I am really sorry. I really don’t know what I did but I am still sorry. I miss you so much.”

“ _ I know hyung. I know. I miss you too. I just… It’s just… I… I don’t know… Why don’t you try and sleep hyung. I will sing you any song you want. Just sleep for me, okay?” _

“No,” Mark says, and he means it. “Not before you tell me what is wrong.”

“ _ It’s 3 am Mark-hyung, you need to sleep.” _

_ “ _ Then tomorrow.” Mark insists. “Meet me tomorrow and promise me that we will talk. And then I will sleep.”

Donghyuck is silent for a couple of seconds before he breathes in and whispers an “ _ okay _ ”. After that Donghyuck starts singing a song and just like it is with the two all the time, sleep finds Mark soon enough. 

  
🎶  
  


The next time Mark calls Donghyuck is the next day. He calls him to arrange the meeting and they settle on meeting in the little park across the cafe they had met for the first time. 

Mark makes it to the park half an hour earlier than their scheduled time. He decides to take a walk in the park to beat some nerves and calm himself down. He takes two turns around the park and finally stops by the waterfall and looks at the water. 

He doesn’t know why he is so worried. It’s only Donghyuck at the end. The joyful, funny, lovely Donghyuck. His Donghyuck. 

He looks up and is met with the same exact Donghyuck’s eyes. He is sitting under a tree hidden behind other trees. It is at the back and nearly hidden. If Mark was standing in a position slightly different than where he is right now, he wouldn’t see it. 

Mark gathers around all the courage he can and walks to Donghyuck. He doesn’t stop until he is right next to Donghyuck and sits down next to him. 

“Hey” Donghyuck says. 

“Hey” Mark answers.

“Before you say anything, I want to say that I am sorry first. I am really sorry for ignoring you and not talking to you. It really isn’t your fault. I just needed time.”

“You needed time?” Mark asks. “For what, though? Why didn’t you tell me anything? I was so worried I did something wrong.”

“I know, I know I am sorry.” Donghyuck repeats.

“Why did you need time though Donghyuck? Did I do something? Was I too much?”

“No, no, no oh my god you were amazing. You are amazing. It’s just— ahh, please don’t make me say it. You probably already know it.” 

“No, but I don’t. I actually have no clue.”

“Because… because… because Lee Minhyung, I have a huge fucking crush on you. I like you. A lot. And I know you don’t feel that way about me but I can’t help it. And that day when you called, I was starting to think maybe you also liked me. You were always calling and sleeping to my voice and you laughed at all my dumb, pointless jokes and you were just… just…  _ you.  _ And I knew I was falling but I thought maybe you were too.

“But that day when you called me and called me only a friend, I got mad. Not at you but at myself for being carried away. And when you said ‘I love everything about you’ at the end of that call, I knew I couldn’t do it anymore. I needed time away to gather myself around, to control myself. But I couldn’t see how that could hurt you. So I am sorry. I am sorry for hurting you and I am sorry for liking you. I am the biggest dumbass, I know.”

Mark stares into Donghyuck’s eyes for a long, long time. Donghyuck is out of breath and looks as gorgeous as he always does and the words that came out of his mouth are unbelievable. Mark feels shocked. He doesn’t know what to do. He is lost. So, he does the first thing that comes to his mind.

He leans in and kisses Donghyuck. The feeling of Donghyuck’s lips in between his is irreplaceable. His lips are soft and plump and anything anyone could ever ask for. The kiss is short because Donghyuck pulls back shortly after with the biggest look of confusion on his face.

All Mark can do is laugh. 

“You really are a dumbass, aren’t you?” Mark says. “You thought I don’t like you?” He asks and laughs even harder. “Have you met you?” 

Donghyuck looks taken aback, surprised, like he doesn’t know what to say. So Mark helps him.

“Lee Donghyuck you are the most amazing, most hilarious, most likable person I know and I have the biggest crush on you.” He leans back in and kisses Donghyuck again. This time, Donghyuck kisses back. 

He wraps his arms around Donghyuck’s waist as Donghyuck wraps his around Mark’s neck. The kiss is soft, full of love and positive emotions. Full of a chance for the future.

  
🎶  
  


Donghyuck calls Mark at 9 pm the night after their first date. The date is perfect and fun and anything they could ask for. 

“Hello? Hyuckie? Is everything alright?” Mark asks. 

“ _ Yeah? Can’t I call my  _ **_boyfriend_ ** _? _ ” Donghyuck answers. Mark only laughs.

“Yeah baby, say boyfriend with your whole chest. I deserved it.” 

“ _ Well… we will see about that. I rate this date a 6 out of 10. You could do better. _ ” Mark laughs again.

“A 6? Is that all I get?” 

“ _ Yeah. For now. I have trust in you, though.” _

“Good to know.”

“ _ Okay so? Are you in bed? Should I start singing?” _

“Wait, what? What do you mean?” 

“ _ Don’t you always call me to sleep to my voice? I thought since we are dating now that would be a regular thing? _ ”

Donghyuck’s laugh after his words is already music to Mark’s ears. 

“I am not sleeping yet. But I can listen to your voice anytime, so please do sing.” 

And Mark means it. 

**Author's Note:**

> I hope you enjoyed this little fic and it managed to bring a smile to your face! Please tell me what you think about it!! 
> 
> And to Rena, lots of love!! Thank you for prompting this! 
> 
> Merry Christmas everyone!!!


End file.
